Translated from Arabic, Halal literally means lawful or permitted. Halal does not just apply to food however, as it applies to a persons behaviors, habits, and things they consume. In reference to food, Halal rules extend back to how animals were treated in their life. Was it fed and given adequate water? Was it well rested? Was it properly handled? To be truly Halal, there are also restrictions on how the animal must be slaughtered and what blessings are to be read over it as it is slaughtered. Here at Madani Halal, we take pride in our humane treatment and respect for all of the animals we slaughter. After all, it is not ours, but a gift from the Almighty. The opposite of Halal is Haraam. Haraam translates to mean unlawful or prohibited. Similar to Kosher laws, the following products are considered strictly Haraam.

• Swine/pork and its by-products

• Carrion

• Animals improperly slaughtered or dead before slaughtering

• Animals killed in the name of anyone other than ALLAH (God)

• Alcohol and intoxicants

• Carnivorous animals, birds of prey and land animals without external ears

• Blood and blood by-products

• Foods contaminated with any of the above products

• Reproductive organs

Foods containing ingredients such as gelatin, enzymes, emulsifiers, etc. are questionable because the origin of these ingredients is not known. Such items are often referred to as mashbooh, which means doubtful or questionable.